Through the Years
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: Twenty vignettes exploring the relationship between India and England. Historically accurate. No pairings. One-shot. Rated for language.


Through the Years

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 **A/N: India and Britain, historically accurate. 20 vignettes based on one-word prompts.**

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 **Subjective**

India has never really been a nation state before – he just personifies his several princely kingdoms. Britain doesn't understand this the first time they meet. "How can one personification represent so many places?" he cries.

India just shrugs. "Nationality can be fluid."

"It's not healthy. That kind of thing can weaken you."

India just smiles because Britain is right, and yet, who here is the Golden Sparrow of Asia?

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 **Bullet**

It was like a bullet to his heart when America declared his independence. That's why he breaks India's back in 1857; he's not losing another one of his favourite colonies. Not now, not ever.

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 **Lesson**

"Liberty, equality, fraternity," India says aloud, reading European texts in broken English. He lets that sink in for a while, because he understands – abstractly – what those words mean, but he cannot remember the last time his people treated each other like equals.

* * *

 **Sauna**

Britain hates this bloody weather, with its humidity and mosquitoes and malaria. But the heat brings imports of raw cotton and indigo dye. The imports bring money, and the money brings strength. So Britain wipes his brow and deals with it.

* * *

 **Cruelty**

"You don't understand," India yells, although his voice is weak and his body is starved. "There's are famines and plagues. People are _dying._ You need to reduce the taxes."

Britain looks up from his desk where he's signing documents. "I'm sorry, India, did you say something?"

* * *

 **Morning**

India nearly chokes the first time he tries Britain's tea. "It's muddy-looking tasteless water," he derides.

Britain frowns at him. "It's the ideal drink for the mornings."

"It needs something. Some sort of…spice."

"Spice? In tea? You amuse me, India."

When the sun rises the next day, India hands Britain a cup, and sits down with one himself. Britain sniffs it, drinks it, and spits it out. "What the bloody hell is in this?"

"Cardamom," India replies dismissively. "It's delicious, and I call it chai."

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 **Skeleton**

India used to be the richest nation on earth, and now he is a mere skeleton of himself. Maybe Britain is right, and nothing he ever did actually mattered. He must have done something wrong to allow himself this enslavement.

He takes all his books on religion and philosophy, and throws them in the river. Britain's right. His culture is inferior. He's an uncivilized heathen.

* * *

 **Human**

" _Sahib_ , please, I'll pay you next term. I can't afford it. Please, please, _please_!"

Britain doesn't say a word as his men hit the farmer with their rifle butts, but he can't watch this either. He stares at the burning sun and tries to ignore the wasteland that had once been lush.

His countrymen need India's wealth. All the same, this feels a little bit wrong.

* * *

 **Railroad**

The first time India sees a railway, he thinks it's a monster from hell. Now, he's become used to the _chug-chug-chug_ and the metallic scream from the engine. It is a hardworking machine that exists to carry out the Empire's commands.

Just like Arthur.

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 **Wind**

"I thought I would find you here," Gandhi says, and India turns and stares at the strange little man. "India lives in its villages, as they say."

India stares openly at Gandhi, but then his listless eyes go back to the sprawling indigo fields. "I've heard a lot about you. What do you want?"

"I want to see a free India."

"You and the other aristocratic politicians who think they know me. They do not. You do not." He turns to Gandhi with desperation. "I don't understand _you_. Freedom fighters, nationalists. You people don't have a _clue_. You sit in your cosy villas and preach about poverty. How dare you."

Gandhi's eyes become soft and sad. "So then you tell me. How will India become free?"

He lowers his eyes and stares at his hands. "India will become free when India becomes united."

"And how do we unite India?"

In the breeze, there is the soft chirp of birds.

"By listening to it," India replies. "By listening to all of it."

* * *

 **Wartime**

India does not want to fight in this Great War. Gandhi makes him. Gandhi says that if India doesn't treat Britain with civility, Britain will never treat India with civility.

"I'm surprised you agreed to fight so easily. I thought I would have to force you," Britain comments as they pack their bags for war.

India just scoffs. "Back in my day, I've fought the Mongols off. You think I'm afraid of a little gunfire?"

* * *

 **Leisure**

"So tell me again: what is the batsman supposed to do?"

Britain sighs irritably and points towards where the cricketers are playing. "All right," he explains, "I'll tell you one last time."

India smirks because he understood the game the first time Britain explained it. He just likes to rile Britain up.

* * *

 **Surprise**

"India, oh God, your wounds –"

India ignores the blood draining from his body, staining the floor. He swings forward with the last reserves of his strength and slaps Britain across the face. "You fucking Englishmen and your fucking barbarism. I will die fighting if I have to, but I will _never_ let you repeat an ambush like the Amritsar Massacre."

* * *

 **River**

India sees the river of peaceful protesters flooding the streets, and smiles to himself as he marches faster to keep up with sprightly old Gandhi.

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 **Book**

"Are you reading a Bible?" Britain asks with wide, surprised eyes. "I thought you didn't trust Christian missionaries."

India turns a page and does not look up. "I find spirituality beautiful," he says. "And your religion fascinates me."

Britain stares, speechless for a moment. And then he offers a tentative smile. "And you must tell me about Hinduism some day."

"And Islam," India adds, "And Sikhism. And Buddhism. And Jainism. And Zoroastrianism. Those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head." Now, he looks up and smiles. "But sure, Britain. If you're interested, I'll tell you."

* * *

 **Sailing**

Britain feels more at home on the ocean than he does on land. He loves India's endless sparkling waters. Not for the first time, he feels strikingly possessive about this country and its warm, boundless seas. He is never going to let India go. He likes it too damn much.

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 **Abusive**

India struggles and shrieks and fights all the way to the ship. "I won't, I won't, _I won't fight for you again_!"

Britain and ten other men have to hold India down and lock him in the ship's prison. "The Nazis are worse than anything we've ever faced before," Britain tells him severely. "They're racist bastards who don't understand what democracy is."

India just snickers darkly. "Sounds a lot like you."

* * *

 **City**

Britain falls to his knees and sobs at the remains of London. India kneels beside him and studies the dust.

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 **Majestic**

England thinks about how empires are built on the bones of their colonies, and thinks about how colonies become free by breaking their masters' shells.

He thought he knew what majesty means, but he's not so sure anymore.

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 **Tomorrow**

Before Britain, India personified hundreds of little kingdoms. Now that Britain is going, he can go back to that. Back to the old ways, back to what he knows.

But over a hundred and fifty years of slavery have changed a lot of things. His differences make him weak, it's true, but they also make him strong. Tomorrow, when he finally becomes independent, India will prove that to the world.

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 **A/N: The heinously overdue birthday gift for Immortal x Snow. This is decidedly** **not** **what she asked for, but my plot bunnies died. All except for this one. And well, I've been meaning to do something like this for a while. And I love exploring the relationship between India and Britain. (It seriously bothers me how India is not a more important character in the show. Freaking** _ **Sealand**_ **is more popular, and Sealand isn't even a real country.)**

 **But anyway xD I'm sorry this is so late, and this isn't what you'd asked for, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway, Snow! :D**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone. Please review!**


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